It was a solid, solid performance by Chelsea that knew exactly what needs to be done to walk away with three points from Emirates. Watching them hold on to the goal scored by Costa reminded fans how the squad performed under Mourinho. Hiddink parked the bus after taking advantage of Mertesacker’s moment of indecision that turned things around. Zouma and Terry were on top of their game and closed any path Ozil may have tried to open for Campbell or Walcott. To be fair, Wenger’s way of handling the whole Mertesacker situation helped a bit as Giroud would have probably been much more dangerous up front.

It was nice to see Fabregas with a clear head and see Willian give it his all for the team. Azpilicueta was a bit out of tune with the team and could have been a lot better against Bellerin but all is well when it ends well. Ivanovic, who recently received a 1 year extension with the option to choose if he stays one more year after that, was also spot on with his interventions and even held his own when Sanchez came in on the right.

Costa was the man of the match again, just as he was during the confrontation won by Chelsea with 2-0 at home. Even if his behavior is not one to root for, he is still one of the sneakiest and most efficient strikers in the Premier League. Not only he got Mertesacker sent off but he also netted the winning goal.

There is one negative thing to keep from this game. Chelsea lacks fire power if Costa is not on the pitch. Remy came in after the Spaniard picked up an injury. He failed badly and regardless of how much he spent on the field, he should have done better. His departure will probably be agreed upon in the next week or so when Pato is expected to take his place. Hopefully Costa’s injury is not that bad as Chelsea have no other decent options to replace him.